Sickle cell anemia is a hereditary disease involving about 0.2 percent of the black population in America. It is distinguished morphologically by the presence of peculiar sickle-shaped erythrocytes under reduced oxygen tension. Patients with sickle cell anemia often experience episodes of severely painful attacks and have relatively short life-spans. The future lies in the discovery and use of suitable therapeutic agents to inhibit the crisis. To achieve this aim, it is essential to clarify and understand the exact sequence of events during the in vivo erythrocyte sickling process. A major obstable to researchers in this area is the lack of suitable techniques for the rapid detection and continuous monitoring of the sickling process. Since sickling of erythrocytes is associated with their characteristic shape changes, we propose to develop a new and innovative technique to monitor the sickling process based upon a unique combination of light scattering and computer image analysis techniques. The differential light scattering technique to be employed here has been shown to be extremely useful for yielding information on the shape, size, and internal molecular structure of bacteria and cells. The technique is particularly suited to study the dynamics of cell physiology and morphology, and experiments can be carried out in solution where biochemical and physiological parameters may be simulated and varied at ease. On the other hand, computer image analysis will make possible the quantitative correlation and interpretation of light scattering results with the sickling process. It is proposed, therefore, to systematically study the relationship between light scattering and cell shape changes with the help of computer image processing in an attempt to develop a simple and useful experimental technique for continuous monitoring of the sickling process; in so doing, it is our intent to elucidate hitherto unknown important aspects of the in vivo sickling process for improved understanding and treatment.